Duel with Principal

Principal Orphus stands before me, wearing an elegant suit beneath a heavy black cloak.

“Ms Luminera… I must apologise in advance, but as the headmaster, losing to a freshman would be rather inconvenient for my standing. Especially with His Majesty watching.”

“Then why did you go out of your way to fight me yourself?”

“I need to gauge your worth personally, of course… Volt!”

A spirit in the shape of a lightning orb appears above him—the same one I’ve seen inside his office. It seems Principal Orphus intends to fight me while still wearing clothing that impairs his mobility.

“You know, you could at least have changed out of your expensive suit. It would be a tragedy if it got dirty.”

“You flatter my consideration. Given that you are fighting in a school uniform and skirt, I could hardly grant myself an ungentlemanly advantage in a proper duel.”

Ignoring the stares of the audience, I calm myself with an exhale. With a fluid motion, I unsheathe my tachi and hold it in front of me with both hands.

A faculty member steps up to manage the match in place of the principal. “The exhibition duel between Principal Orphus and Ms Luminera… Begins in three, two, one…”

I didn't ask my grandfather for intelligence regarding Orphus's spirit power, so this should be a good test of my swordsmanship: fighting a strong spirit contractor for the first time.

“Zero!”

‘Feather Step!’

At blinding speed, I close the distance between us in a sharp zigzag pattern. Halfway through my dash, Volt releases a wide-area lightning wave attack, forcing me to instinctively halt and slice through the electric surge.

However, that attack was a distraction. The principal has already used the opening to construct a dense, humming lightning barrier around himself, fueled directly by the spirit hovering above his head as its core power source.

“My, how terrifying… You disappear from my line of sight entirely. It seems my danger intuition was right on the mark. You truly intended to settle this contest in a single second, did you not? That would be boring.”

“Isn’t that style of fighting a bit too cowardly for the academy’s strongest person, Principal Orphus?”

“Your master once defeated a monster that destroyed my lightning wall with a single blow. Forgive me for taking sensible precautions.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I am no muscle-brained battle addict like my master.”

Though in truth, even I have never witnessed Master Long Kai’s true limits with my own eyes…

“Then do you intend to surrender right here? Is that the extent of your resolve?” He adjusts his glasses as he goads me.

Hearing that patronising tone makes something inside me snap.

‘Feather Jump!’

Using advanced footwork, I launch myself nearly two meters off the stone floor. I click my tongue. Too low… I push off the dense air currents mid-flight, leaping even higher into the stadium sky. As I twist my body sideways—

‘Crescent Wind Slash!’

As my sword cuts through the air, it releases a high-pressure arc of mana aimed directly at the lightning spirit, bypassing the principal's barrier entirely. However, Volt hurls a bolt of lightning straight into my slash, triggering an explosion.

I jump with all my power, attempting to break my personal record by reaching nearly three meters. I dive straight toward Volt itself.

“Volt! Intercept!”

At Orphus’s command, the lightning spirit fires a continuous beam of electrical energy at me. I slash through the white electrical beam midair, utilising gravity to cut through the current.

However, the principal’s mana output is far too overwhelming to cut through completely in midair. The beam detonates at close range, hurling me toward the edge of the arena floor. I manage to twist and land on my feet, though my skin stings and my uniform is noticeably scorched. Worse, a wave of numbness washes through my limbs, forcing me to lean on my tachi to stay upright.

I circulate my internal mana, forcing my stubborn muscles to move…

I realise Principal Orphus truly is formidable. I feel an urge to win, but that barrier is proving to be a terrible matchup for me. But, if I can’t overcome this, I can’t hope to best Chaos.

Closing my eyes, I grip my tachi with both hands, waiting until I hear a crackling sound.

I move as soon as I hear the crackling sound—dozens of lightning bolts fly in my direction. I dodge the first few shots by a hair's breadth and cut down the rest with precise slashes.

I leap into the air, unleashing consecutive Crescent Wind Slashes in rapid succession to overwhelm Volt. The principal attempts to intercept the attack, but as my assault proves fast and unforgiving, I push off midair and unleash another barrage from a completely random direction.

Principal Orphus's expression shifts into annoyance as he has to block so many attacks directed at Volt from different angles. Maintaining high-level spirit manipulation alongside that impenetrable barrier should drain his mana pool at high speed.

Maybe I can win if I keep draining his mana reserves?

However, sensing my strategy, he swiftly snaps his fingers.

“Volt!”

He releases the barrier surrounding himself, redirecting the protective wall to encase Volt instead—shifting his entire tactical approach.

Is this bait? I see that the principal stands completely defenceless… But I take the bait!

I instantly dash toward the exposed principal. He snaps his fingers once more precisely as the barrier snaps back toward him in a flash. My sword strikes the hardened lightning shield, instantly electrocuting my body and forcing me to leap backwards to put distance between us.

“It seems my eyes have already grown accustomed to your speed. Still, it is an incredible skill…”

According to Grandfather, the principal was once a general in the Verdun Spirit Army for five years. He possesses vast military experience, unlike me.

I sigh as I realise that combat experience is immensely critical, even for a spirit user.

“You’re really a monster yourself, you know, Principal Orphus…”

…And he hasn’t even used his second spirit yet.

“You flatter me…” As he adjusts his glasses, I spring forward with everything I have, attempting to split both targets with an even stronger slicing technique.

‘Feather Jump!’ This time, I manage to launch myself nearly three meters up, giving me the perfect height to attack Volt.

“Volt! Change Barrier!”

I roll my body midair, spinning my sword vertically to strike both Volt and Orphus in a single attack.

A technique that involves a high-speed slash and unsheathing movement… ‘First Form: Wave!’

But Orphus merely smiles at me… He casually pulls off his gold-rimmed glasses and snaps the frame with his bare fingers. “Mirror World: Reflection!”

I catch a brief glint of light beneath his cloak. I finally understand why he chose to wear such attire everywhere.

He reflects my attack instantly as it bounces straight back toward me. I attempt to block my own reflected strike, but mitigating that level of kinetic impact midair is impossible. The force blasts me across the arena, sending me crashing directly into the spectator seats.

I realise I have landed right back in my own assigned class section. Panicked, Amelle immediately rushes to my side to help me pull myself up. Fortunately, I managed to coat my back in a dense layer of mana just before impact, shielding myself from broken bones… That principal! That hurt like hell!

The faculty commentator stammers, visibly stunned, taking a long moment before delivering the verdict. He slowly raises his hand. “Contestant Luminera has been thrown from the arena boundary! The winner: Principal Orphus!”

Instead of applause, a wave of uneasy murmurs spreads through the twenty thousand spectators in the stands…

Orphus’s voice echoes across the arena. “Ladies and gentlemen… As you have witnessed, I, the principal of Levre Academy, was forced to deploy my second spirit merely to defeat a thirteen-year-old swordswoman.”

High in the royal box, King Darius stands up. “Silence!” He glares down at the principal. “What is the meaning of this, Principal Orphus?!”

Orphus offers a deep bow toward my father. “Your Majesty, as a scholar, it is my duty to seek the truth. Should we continue to neglect our physical training by relying on spirit contracts alone, we might be unable to repel the future threats our homeland might face. I merely sought to enlighten all of us with fact.”

“Are you suggesting we dismiss four hundred years of our kingdom's legacy?! It was through the divine grace of Spirits that our nation was forged and stands to this day!”

“Far from it, Your Majesty. Spirits will remain as our foundation. However, there is untapped potential in this new subject. Should Ms Luminera’s technique combined with our spirit arts prove my hypothesis, it will create a vastly superior combat form that might modernise our military doctrine. We need to upgrade our spirit combat, especially with muskets becoming widespread.”

I thank Amelle, and after reassuring her that I am uninjured, I jump from my class section back onto the arena floor. My classmates gasp as I vault from a height of five meters without using spirit magic, but I simply ignore them.

The king glares down at me for a brief second before turning back to the principal. “We shall discuss your eccentricities in private. You are summoned to the throne room immediately after this event concludes.”

“As you wish, Your Majesty.”

With that, my father takes his seat once more with an icy expression.

I glance up toward my father and my younger brother. It seems neither of them recognises my face—after all, it was my late mother, Granz, and Melissa who spent every day by my side, and Lucius was merely eight years old when I was attacked.

“It is my complete defeat, Principal Orphus…” I bow politely to him.

Orphus smiles down at me. “And yet you stand here as if nothing happened.”

“You would have broken my back had I not used any techniques.”

Principal Orphus claps his hands twice, gesturing for the faculty personnel to resume the scheduled program.

“Come with me if you would, Ms Luminera.” He turns and walks toward the eastern arched entrance located beneath the Class 1-F seating section. I can see Amelle watching me with a worried expression.

We step into a waiting lounge—a quiet room where performers prepare themselves before entering the arena. A few tables and chairs are neatly arranged at the side of the room.

“Please, make yourself comfortable.”

I nod and take a seat while he sits across from me.

“Thank you for your restraint, Principal Orphus. Though given what you were concealing beneath that cloak, you never intended to grant me a chance to win at all, did you?”

He opens his cloak slightly, revealing dozens of identical, spare spectacle frames clipped inside. “You are remarkably sharp. It seems you possess a thorough comprehension of high-level spirit mechanics.” He pulls out a pair of spectacles and puts them on.

There exists a tier of spirits beyond high-ranking—rare spirits known as Spirit Kings. However, there is a price for invoking their power: the contractor must offer a specific sacrifice every single time they want to unleash that power. The power unleashed by invoking that sacrifice cannot be taken lightly, as its effect is far greater than that of high-ranking spirits.

He continues smoothly, “As I suspected, you are no mere martial swordsman. Unlike Master Long Kai, you are a spirit contractor yourself, aren’t you? Though you accuse me of holding back, you were exercising the exact same restraint.”

“Unlike you, I need to keep my spirit hidden, Principal…”

“How interesting…”

“As for me, I am genuinely interested in your research. Having a martial artist with a spirit contract should significantly reduce the time needed to complete it, shouldn't it?”

“So, you propose a tradeoff? Using both your spirit and swordsmanship to speed up my research? That is acceptable. What is your condition?”

“I must ask you to keep my identity and status as a spirit contractor an absolute secret, Principal.”

“Is that all? Then we have a deal.”

“Uluru…”

A silver bird materialises from thin air and perches on my right shoulder.

Orphus’s eyes widen as he freezes in his chair. “That spirit… That is the familiar of the late First Princess. No… It couldn't possibly be…”

“You may return, Uluru.”

With a flap, Uluru dissolves into the air.

“It is not a matter of preference, but necessity. Given that my standing supersedes yours, consider this a high-level negotiation.”

Principal Orphus chuckles softly. “So that explains why old Duke Lenningham went out of his way to introduce Master Long Kai’s 'new pupil' to me. Tell me then, Princess… why are you so confident that I am a trustworthy confidant?”

“Over the past few days, I conducted an investigation into your political background, only to find that you were the General of the Verdun Spirit Army until three years ago, before suddenly resigning to join the academy as headmaster. Coupled with your friction with my father just now, it has become clear that you hold zero ambition within the royal court. If you did, you would try to curry favour with the crown. Therefore, my conclusion is that your goal lies solely in your research.”

Orphus’s smile broadens as he adjusts his glasses. “You continuously surpass my expectations, Your Highness… I am almost tempted to back your claim to the throne myself, as you possess a remarkably pragmatic mind.”

“I am honoured, but I have no ambition to be the next monarch… I am willing to assist your research, because it is also essential for me to defeat a threat I must eventually face. Furthermore, as promised, I shall assume the role of leader for the swordsmanship club. But should my identity or our technique of combining spirit arts and martial arts leak, our agreement is instantly void.”

“An intriguing proposal, Princess… I did not anticipate you offering terms so heavily weighted in my favour.”

“And that secrecy extends to your own kin, the Nashville Duchy.”

“You need not worry on that front. My relationship with my house in that regard is distant at best. I am a scholar, not a politician.”

It seems the rumours are true: the Duke of Nashville was furious upon learning that his firstborn son quit the military to become a scholar when he already held the rank of general.

“Lastly, regarding your proposals toward my father at the arena… I ask you to postpone them. If my enemies truly lie within the court and are able to learn or even utilise this power, it will bring dire consequences upon Verdun.”

Orphus narrows his eyes. “Then tell me, Princess… Can you achieve your necessary results before the conclusion of your first academic year?”

Those words make my heart rattle slightly…

“…That is something I cannot say,” I waver as I say that.

“Very well. I shall tell His Majesty everything only when you are prepared.”

“You will truly back me in this, Principal Orphus?”

“I will… But do not mistake this for mere sentimentality, Princess. I will be troubled if this kingdom collapses; I can only do my research seriously in peace. Our goals simply happen to align.”

“That is more than enough. I hope we are able to have a long-lasting relationship, Principal Orphus.” I extend my right hand to him.

“Likewise, Princess Lucia. I am truly honoured by this.” He shakes my hand, sealing our deal.